And it took me another 10 to figure how to put an image into this blog.

I've been gone too long.

In case you're wondering I've decided to make Grampa Simpson the theme of this post. Because it's been a long time. The only problem is I can't use the "haha he's so old-school" joke next time.

[Been]

I've been good. Y'know, same old and all that. I booked my flight to PAX and will be graciously hosted at Knutaf's for a bit so there's always that excitement.

I dunno, the fact that the blogs don't auto double-space is sorta bugging me out...Or has it always been like that? Oh god I don't even remember.

[Am]

What I am doing is putting in a lot of pictures so as to distract from the fact that I'm not writing a whole lot in this blog. If I had it my way (which I never have), I'd just make the whole damn post pictures of Abe Simpson.

Additionally, I recently saw two movies: The Wolverine and Only God Forgives. The first was not super great, or really great, but it was better than the previous Wolverine movie so I guess there's that. I dunno, it just seemed extremely un-creative. There wasn't anything there that got my blood pumping like that time Wolverine escaped with that one orphan girl while singing in 1700s Paris. Or that one time Hugh Jackman gutted those soldiers in the second X-Men movie.

I am also currently laughing at my own Les Mis reference. Hahaha I'm clever.

Secondly, the new Ryan Gosling movie was...Well I wouldn't say it was unexpected because pacing wise it's similar to Refns' Valhalla Rising and before you expect me to be a cine-phile, it's simply that movie was always recommended to me on Netflix and I was bored one weekend.

So yeah, that new movie by "Drive-by" Gosling was either a movie or a collection of stock footage. Also, everyone was a winner in the "Act more than Ryan" competition the set must have been holding because he said like 5 words that entire film.

Thirdly, I'm considering getting the phrase "I'm clever" tattoo'd across my chest so that people will know that I am. Not like I'm insecure or anything like that, it's just that I don't have any self-esteem.

Well as I mentioned previously, I will be going to PAX again this year so expect my scrawny Asian body lying around.

Hmm, well I'm planning on listening to other albums by this Scottish band called Frightened Rabbits. They're pretty cool.

[left]
[/left]

Incidentally, switching over to Spotify Premium was one of the best decisions of my life.

I thought I could handle ads but one minute you're crying to Billy Joel and the next minute Target is asking if you're ready to listen to thei SUMMER JAMZ playlist. Or one moment you're crying to Neil Young and Lowe's is asking if your patio is ready to be built for the summer. OR, one second you're crying to Fallout Boy and Fallout Boy asks if you've listened to their latest album only on Spotify.

So hello people. Doing good? So am I. Did you know I was late for an exam this morning? Terrifying stuff. Almost failed a class! Gee willikers mister, it sure nearly blew my gasket.

Things

Blap blap mo'fuckas! How y'all been. I strode in tore up that weak-ass exam shit...in the butt. Why? Cuz it was a good day, didn't even have to use mah AK.

Iron Thrones

You guys remember Xander Markham right? Used to be here like me then went off to Flixist? He and I are going to take the Iron Throne so all of you other loser houses might as well just put down your arms and, I dunno, do what those that don't win the game of thrones do.

So my friends and I got together recently to watch the 2000 version of Godzilla.

It was so much shittier than I remembered. I mean, how do you screw it up? Wait, actually I can tell you.

There were these jokes where characters would say things and one of the other, more sarcastic, characters would give a witty retort. Only the retorts weren't funny and there was like a good 20 second break after each of them so you just know that whoever wrote the script was sitting in their chair, wrote that shitty joke and just chuckled smuggly to themselves thinking they were the most clever person on the face of this stupid Earth (Happy Earth Day).

One was especially confusing as Matthew Broderick's character said one of those stupid cheesy replies and the soldier next to him just stood there looking at him confused. You know he heard Broderick's stupid line because we all heard it but naturally you would also expect the soldier to say something because he had the look that he wanted to. Didn't happen. Just a weird awkward soldier staring at Broderick...or maybe the soldier was instead looking at the empty, vacuous space of stupid that Matthew Broderick's reply created.

And another thing. Jean Reno's character was so stereotypically French it didn't even seem real. Like the same smug writer was writing a stereotype of a French character played by Jean Reno of all people and was like "They don't like our coffee, eat nothing but cheese and croissants right? Yeah that's totally right, man I'm amazing."

Fucking asshole.

No one man should have all that power

Oh man look at the time. Sorry I took that much space ranting about Godzilla. I hear the reboot hired like a Japanese, indie, cult director who specializes in those old monster movies. I look forward to it definitely.

It's really great having cable again. I've lived without it for so long but now I'm coming to remember the fun with regularly scheduled programming. Netflix has further lowered my tolerance for commercials, but following my favorite shows on a weekly basis is as fun as I remembered it.

On that note, how great is Archer, Adventure Time, Happy Endings, and Archer? A show so great I said it twice.

Music

Regardless of whether or not their last few albums did indeed sound like two computers engaging in love making, Radiohead frontman Thom Yorke's side project Atoms for Peace released a kickass new album. you should listen to it.

Games

So over the weekend I accidentally a text adventure and I'm not entirely sure what to do. Here it is.

Well the community is doing fun things again so I thought I'd throw my hat into the ring and reveal to you 10 of my many secrets.

1.) I'm a trained figure skater

This one is my go to secret for conversations and the like but it's still not something I go announcing to everyone I meet. As a kid my mom gave the option of taking speed skating like all the cool Korean kids or take figure skating. I chose speed skating. Sadly it was full so she put me in figure skating instead. I can't do the things I used to but I'm pretty sure I can spin on ice if needed...Maybe.

2.) I can't drive

Never bothered to learn because in high school I was like "Everybody is learning how to drive so I'm going to be an individual and not learn that!" But yeah I can't be a productive member in a carpool so there's that. I should really be thinking about a license though seeing as I'm living on my own now.

3.) I can't swim in the ocean.

I was on the swim and water polo team in high school so it's safe to say I'm comfortable around water and staying afloat for long periods of time. Still, I get about waist deep in the ocean, begin the process of swimming and just end up floundering a bit before I get washed up on shore by the waves like the pathetic seal that I am. Once that seaweed touches my ankles I just lose my abilities for competent water survival. My swimming Kryptonite if you will.

4.) I'm probably scared of strawberries.

They freak me out. I don't like eating them or smelling them but for some reason I also don't like being in the same room as them. Weird.

5.) I never leave voice mails.

It's a weird ass system and I will not be apart of it. These days cell phones tell you that you missed a call so hopefully you have enough courtesy to call back. Sadly it's also because of this rule that I ended up paying 100 dollars for a cancellation fee at the doctors because I demanded a person hear my request for a cancellation. Not worth a hundred dollars but still. I don't leave voice mails...Ever.

6.) I occasionally have a cigarette

Because that's what badass people do. Not a habit, not even an addiction really. Still I will play smoking buddy for some people and maybe one at a party where I'll be deathly scared of everyone. Incidentally I seem to be able to quit fairly easily. Can go months without one and not face any major consequence or erratic behavior until I decide it's boring again.

7.) I never finished Firefly

I liked what I saw but it wasn't enough to keep me invested so I just never finished it.

8.) I rocked a fohawk in high school.

Because I was an ass.

9.) I can't spell.

If it weren't for spell check I would be seriously screwed. Spelling and I have never gotten along and I always either add or forget a crucial letter. Example? I misspelled "crucial" from the previous sentence.

10.) Sometimes I make friends with people then never want to be with them again.

That's my own personal demon and what I consider one of the worst aspects about myself. I'm a pretty friendly guy and easily approachable but once the other person begins being friendly I become really scared of them and immediately try to distance myself again and they're left confused. I've been working on it the past few years and the internet has really helped in fixing that problem. Still have feelings of dropping everything and running away but I'm improving.

So yeah...10 things about me. Nothing really big or revolutionary but there you have it Dtoid community. I guess I'm willing to share this because I do really love you guys even if I'm not here as often.

What has been happening since...the last...time...I....saw...you...guys?

When was that by the way? December...Right last December...Wait...DECEMBER?!?!?

Shit that was three months ago.

Still I just finished my final essay about surrealism and thought I could remind myself that I once used to exist here.

Yeah it was weird because the C-Blog Interviews returned just as there was this renewed focus on the C-Blogs so that must be this supposed divine hand of revolution. I mean Handy, Kraid, Beyamor all those guys returning at this time just as Mr. Dixon has been put in charge of the C-Blogs? That can't be a coincidence.

Viva la Revolution

I like how one blog became the catalyst for everybody in the community to finally vent their grievances. I was busy studying the French Revolution the past year so I enjoyed that quite a bit. Though I'm a bit disappointed that we didn't go through anything like The Terror. I mean I for one think that Occams would make an amazing Robespierre. Just imagine all the paranoia and guillotines...Beautiful.

Also, why have we not beheaded Marie Antoinette yet? People, you guys are going about a revolution the wrong way! Peaceful petitions? The Government making concessions? Where's the aristocratic ignorance? The Military occupation? GUYS! WHERE ARE THE GUILLOTINES!!!!

...Ahem..Sorry I ran off on a tangent there.

Surrealism

Best. Assignment. Ever.

and

along with

and

It was like writing about video games but...not.

Pretty much a paper where I go "And this guy was a pervert, and that guy was a pervert!"

So yeah...Art History...Great stuff.

Video Games

Over the past two weeks I became the sovereign ruler of Denmark.

Under my leadership I defeated the upstart neighbor city-state of Saigon. It was a long campaign but after many months of burning their crops and stealing their food, the capital city fell and I annexed its people because I am a merciful leader.

So yeah Civilization V is an amazing game.

I also bought the new Silent Hill game because fuck reviews.

I'm pretty impressed actually. Without going into too much detail, the new game is pushing all the right buttons for me.

Life

It's been...tough. I'm not going to lie. There was a nervous breakdown a while back and it required the attention of professional help.

I'm mostly better now but things haven't quite been the same since.

I think people who follow me on Twitter know what I'm talking about.

Still, I'm doing much better and I'm regaining control on my life so good things.

In other news you guys can blame me for Stevil because I'm the one that asked him to work for us. He told me about how he kept getting the shaft and I really hated to see someone like him not get the exposure he deserved.

It was fun, sort of like diplomacy or something. I want to play more Civ V.

As for everything else?

Well I can say that I missed you guys. That I think about you guys every day and sometimes consider leaving a message only to be embarrassed and hang up the phone.

I can't promise anything but the main thing keeping me away from the C-Blogs was that I didn't recognize it anymore. It wasn't the same C-Blog I first fell in love with and it wasn't the one I grew with. I don't think it'll ever be the same but steps are being made to repair some of the more broken elements so who knows what will happen in the future.

It's been a while hasn't it. It's been a loooooong while. I missed you guys. I missed you guys a lot. Remember when we used to have adventures? Like that time you and I and that peasant from the village we kidnapped to guide the way fought that evil demon lord and he was like "Woah!" and we were like "You suck!" and then he was like "Okay." and he was all sad. Then we slayed him and won life...Those were better times.

Gone: The Law of Thermal Dynamics Story

So I guess the reason for my disappearance could be attributed to three things.

1.) Finals. Those things suck and was all sorts of not fun times.

2.) Lack of games. After moving out of the house and into a dorm I didn't have a television to play games with so what else could I talk about? Sports?!?!?!

3.) I got a writing gig over at Twinfinite. Yeah I guess someone felt sorry enough for me to decide I could awkwardly sew together sentences for them. I write about anime now and get all the girlfriends so that's fun.

Games: The alternative fuel

Since my lack of tv has limited my experience with any major console release I have discovered very late in the game the joys of Steam. Would you believe me if I told you that you could play games on a computer? I know I shat bricks too.

So with that I've finally got around to play Super Meat Boy which is hard as balls. as balls

....Balls

I also finally downloaded Psychonauts which is fun as balls.

There are a lot of balls in my life now.

Now that I'm home though I've finally started on the new Legend of Zelda: Skyward Sword and let me tell you this secret....

No come a little closer....

...a little closer.

.......I like it.

Like Tom Hanks I drift with a volleyball named Wilson

So I didn't have my usual group of Xbox live ne'er do wells to talk life with due to the whole "television" thing. Luckily Twitter is the dwelling of my favorite Dtoiders so there was that but what about the C-Blogs? I haven't been here in weeks and I feel bad and at the same time lost for I hardly recognize it anymore.

Most likely it is my fault for not being here for so long and hopefully this blog will ease me back into writing whatever mundane thought enters my head...

Nutella is fucking delicious.

And with creepy stalker-ish resolve I vow to make our relationship....stronger

So hopefully we can re-establish this thing that we used to have. With me commenting and writing and you, commenting and writing and together we will both be commenting and writing....and stuff.

I wrote this back in September so some minor details may have changes since then....*sigh* I was really hoping to play the game this year.

Silent Hill: Downpour is set to arrive very shortly and for any fan of Silent Hill this is a nervous and trying time. It is no secret that the once great and infallible staple of horror is now met with both skepticism and worry from both its fans and the creators who are tasked to return the series back to its former glory. The challenges facing Silent Hill currently are forces that are both numerous and difficult to overcome but I have a feeling that Silent Hill: Downpour has the potential to exceed expectations.

Ten years ago Silent Hill 2 was released to nearly universal praise for its atmosphere, story, graphics, and gameplay. It weaved a story and plot mature enough to handle marital stress, sexual violence, and the consequences of murder with a setting and creature design that accurately honed in on primal fears and conveyed them both with equal clarity to its players. Then came Silent Hill 3 met with similar yet dwindling reception. Afterwards, many argued that Silent Hill 4 was starting point of the downward slope to mediocrity (Though recent opinion seems to imply a growing appreciation towards the title).

Iím not here to analyze why the series has been getting steadily getting worse mainly because I donít believe the series is in a state which I can say that they are bad to begin with. No, the real enemy facing the Silent Hill series is not that different from the internal doubt that haunts the protagonists in the games themselves. The idea that the Silent Hill games are getting worse has been accepted universally not only by the gamers, but by the developers as well.

What happened? Silent Hill 4 didnít enjoy the same praise as the games before it and a panic set in that clouded the judgment of everyone involved. Firstly, by this time Silent Hill 2 had become synonymous with the epitome of a mature horror story because it set a standard some say of a true survival horror game. The fear of a tarnish on the Silent Hill name worried many fans. Then before any time could elapse and breathing room established, Akira Yamaoka, sound designer of the series, made the even worse mistake of having said on record that Silent Hill 4 "isnít very good".

The nails on the coffin were set.

There are many that would argue that Silent Hill 4 isnít very bad at all. If the shouts of complaints for the missing Silent Hill 4 from the HD collection are anything to go by then people still have a keen interest in the game. However, the very lack of the game from the HD collection clearly shows Konami is still buying into the idea that ďthe fourth game ruined Silent HillĒ. This resurgence in opinion for Silent Hill 4 is probably because it has been some time since Silent Hill 3 and those who played the fourth game have now gone back and played it without crippling its value. Another explanation is that now that the considerably ďworseĒ Silent Hill games (which I will maintain arenít anymore bad than they are adequate) have been released, anything by the original Team Silent is a godsend. But looking back on it what was Silent Hillís original sin? That a game was a bit well less received than the ones before it?

There is an imaginary standard regarding how great the series used to be not because of any real merits, but because Silent Hill 2 and the term "true modern survival horror" has become synonymous with each other. Yes, Silent Hill 2 is a great game, a near perfect game, one of my favorite games, but at this point, if people just wish for another Silent Hill 2, gamers have better luck just replaying the game.

Another more interesting dilemma facing the series is something of a derivative from the first problem, wherein a new Silent Hill game tries to distinguish itself by trying to create its own twist ending or reveal so expected by the series. Each new Silent Hill game has attempted to establish some reveal to varying degrees of success, but a twist ending is as closely associated with the series itself that it has become expected of each game to have one. Anyone who plays enough games would argue that this diminishes the impact of such reveals. One thing Silent Hill: Downpour is doing differently is confirming a villain protagonist, a convicted felon Murphy Pendleton. And no, he was not wrongly imprisoned says developers.

I find this to be a good sign of what the game is trying to establish. Taking the usual Silent Hill guilty protagonist and toying with the idea of playing a bad person rather than revealing that youíve been playing a bad person. If done correctly, perhaps the feeling of what it truly means to be a criminal will come through with a real sense of gravity.

Now while the big reveal has been repeated with each succession of games, there is finally the problem of differentiating each game from one another. The best of the recent releases in my opinion was Silent Hill: Shattered Memories which, while a re-imagining of the first game, created a memorable experience and delivering the best use of the Wii motion controls I've ever used. Shattered Memories told a story and revealed a surprisingly shocking end that actually made sense while still being completely unexpected. The worst? Probably Silent Hill: Homecoming which just seems like a poor attempt to emulate the second game with nothing it can rightly call its own.

The series as of late have fallen into a trap in which there is a feeling of obligation to keep successful aspects of the series and begin crafting around these various and sparse story and gameplay elements. One worrying concept is that the game has taken direct aspects of previous games such as the blending other world from Homecoming and the escape portions from Shattered Memories. Hopefully these elements help redeem these creative aspects of previous games rather than simply rehash used ideas.

In fact, the Silent Hill series could take a page from Nntendo's actions with a flagship title of their own, The Legend of Zelda. Liberated from any sense of wanting to keep the fans happy by building a game around concepts established in previous titles and therefore limiting their own creative process, the current Zelda team seems to have a greater freedom in their design choices by finally moving past fan favorites to create new features and build around new ideas. There is a legacy to both the Zelda series and the Silent Hill series and the fear of attempting something, not just new, but vastly different is what's holding back these titles from evolving. But Zelda is currently working on it so why not Silent Hill?

As I said, the last few Silent Hill games arenít bad by any means. At best they are underappreciated and at worse lazy, uninspired clone stitched from successful elements of the series in a sad attempt to be a Silent Hill game. If thereís one thing to be sure of is that the series is an integral part of Konamiís library and they donít seem to want to ditch it any time soon so if Downpour doesnít put life back into the series Iím sure there will always be a next time. Hopefully by then there will be a company that can confidently take the series under its wings and fly with it to unimagined territory. Just as the protagonists in the game learn to move on without being chained to the past, so must the developers relinquish the heavy bonds with its predecessors. read

It is a general truism of this world that anything long divided will surely unite, and anything long united will surely divide

I can't speak for you, but I love my mother. She used to tell me stories before I would go to bed every night for a year or so...then she ran out of stories and just told me to start reading. King Arthur, Sinbad the Sailor, the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, she somehow knew each of these stories and would tell me of their adventures, of the voyages, of that thieving bastard Lancelot (her words not mine) and the Battle of Red Cliffs.

Let's fast forward about a year and by then I learned how to read fairly well. It was also around this time I became the proud owner of a game called The Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time. I was reminded of the Adventures of Camelot and of the Warring states of China and how magical the entire experience was. I never finished the experience until a couple years later (The game was very hard) but I immediately knew what I loved so much about the game which was that it reminded me so much of the stories my mother would tell me when I was slightly younger than when I was young.

Today I've grown a bit and still I love the Zelda games for retaining that element of childhood wonder and fascination, that mythology that the series had built for itself and later turned into staples of its own stories. Just as how no story of Camelot is complete without the great sword Excalibur, no Zelda story is complete without the Master Sword. The series continues to perpetuate itself in the world it created twenty five years ago while at the same time expanding the mythos forged over time. In short, it has remained just as innocent and whimsical, grand and full of wonder as it had for so long.

Now imagine my surprise when I read this over at IGN a couple days ago. Now granted it is just the readers of one particular website and no way telling of a majority consensus, but a lot of people read IGN and I've had way too many conversations about the Legend of Zelda series to know that many others share this view. No, not just that Zelda should have voice acting, but this idea that the Zelda series should grow up. That a game made to have children fall in love with a beautiful world should grow up with the audience that first fell in love with it twenty five years ago.

Somewhere along the line a few gamers began to feel upset that Zelda held onto this "kiddy" feel. I think we all remember gamers when Wind Waker was announced. The outcry that followed was disheartening to say the least. That a game we played as children would somehow stop being for children- I mean what kind of world do we live in when the phrase for children is a bad, derogatory thing? No, I have yet to meet an extremist that demands for sex, blood, and gore in a Zelda game, but there are those who grow tired of the story of saving the Princess from the forces of evil and want some odd story about betrayal or something I usually zone out once they start writing their own Zelda stories. And yes, voice acting is a modern norm for video games, but if I may, let me just say a few things about Zelda and not try to convince anyone of anything.

I think the first thing that should be said is that I don't think Zelda can be defined entirely as "childish". Yes, it's for children, but just as you find out about adultery and other naughty things from old stories, dark elements can be found all across the Zelda games. In fact, there is a helpful list of all the nightmarish things put into a game where we once had this adorable little guy become a badass and stab Ganandorf in the face. I mean like his sword just entered a guy's face! It even made a creepy sound! Yet people want a story with whatever warped definition maturity has these days. No, the Zelda straddles the line of definition by being a mature, even existential (too far?) tale wrapped in a simple allegory. Just as there are extremists who deride Zelda stories as being incredibly simplistic and childish to be worth the time of any "Mature Gamer", there are those who somehow find deep, Plato like philosophical questions in the series (No, I do not believe Link is a Christ metaphor). While I don't agree with either side of the spectrum, just the fact that such interpretations of the story exist be evidence enough that any tale, as long as it provokes thought and at a more primal level, resonant emotions, be heralded for great story telling? Not just defined narrowly as either "childish" or "mature", but instead be praised for being a great story instead? No, you don't have to like the Zelda games, but can those who once have and once loved it really look back and say "Oh, I used to like the series and then I grew up."

Now about the desire for voice acting. Remember earlier in this blog somewhere near the first couple of sentences I told you my mother would tell me stories before bed? Well she also did awesome voices too. Her impression of King Arthur pulling out the sword from the stone (No lady in the water for me) and going "Woah" in an almost Keanu Reeves like fashion may be the greatest moment in my childhood life, and though I may be sketchy on some details I do know this: My mother was certainly not a professional voice actor.

Give Link dialogue? Couldn't hurt. I mean you could hear the tale of Sinbad the Sailor and still relate to him even if he did things like plunder and say things like "Bring forth the whores!" (Like I said, some details are sketchy) and still a seven year old will relate. A seven year old could relate with a rock if it was interesting enough (don't ask). But a voice?!?! I don't think you've ever heard a child come up with voices for characters, but that shit is not only magical but goddamned adorable and you want to rob a child of that right? If you answered yes then I have bad news for you; You're a monster.

Now that that has settled in, let me end by saying this. I love the Zelda series. There are people who don't love the Zelda series either from the beginning or anymore and that's perfectly understandable. But wishing something you loved before and expecting it to change just so you can love it again is wrong. I mean just read that sentence again and imagine telling that to a woman or a child or anyone else for that matter and it sounds really bad...and it is. If I may just say one thing about Skyward Sword, the game seems to include an aspect I actually do desire from a Zelda game which is an actual romance between Link and Zelda. I mean yes the subtext was always there, but this one seems fleshed out a bit further. I do hope this game makes Link and Zelda the next Romeo and Juliet equivalent in my mind.

I'm sitting in front of a cardboard box which acts as a desk for my laptop. Written on the box/desk are the phrases "Don't think...Feel", "I never asked for this", and "Hobo desk". In the room next to me a lady is playing Bach's Little Fugue on the cello and I'm thinking that this would be a nice time to write a blog.

Video Games

So I noticed on Twitter that #GoW3 was trending and I remembered that God of War 3 was released. Then I remembered God of War came out awhile ago and that Gears of War 3 must have been released. I don't have anything against the Gears of War franchise, but just like the Call of Duty games, Battlefield games, Final Fantasy games, Assassin's Creed games, and the Dead Rising games, I have no interest in them. Now being apathetic doesn't mean hate and as my friends on Xbox Live will attest, I don't have some odd need to go and shit on or convince the masses of their ignorance of franchises I just don't think about. Well the internet will remain the internet so what will you do right?

I have been playing a lot of Street Fighter IV on my friend's computer (I can't connect to xbox live at the moment, but I'm working on it!) and I've really gotten into the groove of how those games work. I'm pretty confident in my abilities as Dudley that I can proudly call him my main. I mean he's a British boxer that wears a bowtie and drinks tea in a mansion! That man is brimming with class and sophistication.
Also kind of video game related is that I made a new friend named Silver. All of my PokeDreams are coming true! PokeDreams

Life

Now the Cellist is playing Beethoven and I've come to the conclusion that I need more Franziska Von Karma in my life. I recently replayed the second Phoenix Wright title and remember how much I loved her...What? Video Games is life.

Small thing about the Nintendo TGS conference...Why are you so lazy Nintendo? I mean geez I liked some of the things I saw, but I would have imagined that with your recent troubles you would put money where your mouth is and begin funding a lot of adventurous projects to rally some excitement for the 3DS but instead you put all that money into making Monster Hunter 4 a 3DS exclusive. Do you know what you did? You just effectively got your hands on a hardware seller the laziest way imaginable. Congrats Nintendo, your 3DS is going to succeed thanks to the softest bullet ever shot.

PAX

So PAX was a month ago, but the memories will last a lifetime, and even though I didn't post a picture of my good times, you can still see me on the front page this week wearing the Mr. Destructoid helmet and standing next to the Green Power Ranger (or the Bridget cosplayer from last week).

If you don't know why you should go to PAX next year, let me paint you a picture. Occams is in the kitchen with a plate of sausages, Knutaf and COM 01 are in the backyard grilling, Beyamor and Law are sitting on the sofa having a deeply philosophical discussion on the nature of the rock band Queen, Kraid is singing German Death metal, Steezy XL is playing Mario Kart DS, Nihils is playing around with a camera, Qalamari is wearing a cool hat, Fame Designer is mixing cocktails, and Mr. Andy Dixon is out hunting badger, or as he calls it "Mr. Dixon's Special Stir Fry"...Also me and Beyamor shared a futon so already it was the Best. Week. Ever.

(Me and Scion of Mogo being badass. No Punk No Life!)

I also met the cast of Hey Ash What You Playin?...I'm the one looking confused while holding a sandwich.

(Just eating a sandwich, meeting awesome people.)

I want to give a shout out to everyone I met at PAX that made it such a great time! Jesse for offering me the tickets after they had been sold out and essentially being the reason for all my happiness, Thought Devourer and Husband who made my latex dreams come true, Xzyliac for being Xzyliac, Crime Minister of course for being my wingman and bathroom buddy, Funktastic for being a true Asian inspiration, Jon Carnage for being fucking Jon Carnage, and Niero for giving me a place where I met all the people I just mentioned.

(My favorite picture out of PAX. Took the one Corduroy typed on.)

(Thanks for the memories Big Boss!)

(Asian Off 2011. Be there next year for Asian Off 2012!)

Stuff

That "thing" is going to return soon so there's that.

Sorry that my pictures are so big. I might post the rest on Flickr if I get the chance. read

A mysterious monster has invaded the Bebop and is taking each crew member out one by one. Who or what could possibly be behind such a nefarious attack on the ship?

Dunno actually, but itís like watching The Thing so thereís that.

Kill it with fire and send it to Hell is what I say, but who knows? It might go well with bread.

Jupiter Jazz (Part 1)

Spoilers

Spoilers.

Spoilers. Spoilers.

When you go into a relationship, platonic or romantic, familial or intimate, there is fear. Sharing your life with another is always frightening and sometimes that fear is what ultimately leads to disintegration. Always the What Ifs rather than actions that create vulnerability and running away becomes a much more appealing option day after day.

Faye ran.

Understandable really. The crew of the Bebop resembles a family more and more each episode and if thereís any habit of lonely people itís that they usually enjoy being alone.

But what is it they say about trials? That a test of endurance usually strengthens? I donít really know.

When you meet someone you love more than life itself you become chained. No one in that relationship wants the chain to break but if somehow it shatters than they will do whatever it takes to reconnect with their lost partner.

Spike is looking for his missing half.

I wonder if itís his past that forces him to look for Julia or is it because he wants her to be there in his future. Regardless of the circumstances, I think itís safe to say that itís hard to comprehend a man or woman in pursuit of something no one understands.

Jupiter Jazz (Part 2)

I once read a book with a character who was a woman but with the mind of a man who is gay.

Now Iím not bringing that up to make assumptions on the sexual orientation of any major characters in these two episode, but it relates easily to my main point about identity. Namely, who or what factors decide such ideals of identity in life? Is it gender? Is it innate? External rulings? Regardless of any force of civilization that sets standards that dictate anything, the choice of identity, of who you want to be ultimately rests with you. Sadly itís presumably easier to follow along with the pact.

After all, the realization that individuality exists simply opens the door to a new question of ďHow do I create my own identity?Ē and thatís where the true problem lies.

Do you forge yourself through your experiences? Do you mix and match? Iíd like to think it is a natural progression. Like adding layers to a base thatís so inborn that nothing you do can change that core.

But I digress from the episode.

The collective Jupiter Jazz parts 1 and 2 is another beloved, plot heavy inclusion into the Cowboy Bebop storyline that asks a lot of questions while at the same time provokes some thought. Great action, plot twists, and beautiful scenery art makes these two something worth appreciating. Jet also gets some useful characterization as a man whoís really grown fond of his new family and is scared of losing this rag tag group of misfits that somehow become a close knit group of kindred spirits.

Oh and questions of the opening monologue:

ď What warrior is it?Ē

ďA lost soul who has finished his battles somewhere on this planet. A pitiful soul who could not find his way to the lofty realm where the great spirit awaits us all.Ē

Perhaps it means that a warrior, a person who fights for survival, has finally finished the battle of life only to realize that struggling against the great tide of life leaves nothing but a weakened corpse, yet the interesting thing is the entire series is full of characters fighting for so many thingsÖMaybe it just means that Heaven is beyond the reach of anybody who keeps looking for an absolute answer.

Bohemian Rhapsody

And weíre back to something of an episode I find really hilarious in hindsight.

They always say vengeance is futile or that it doesnít solve anything. That the pain wonít disappear and the likes. But that feeling wonít be felt until after you have revenge Iím assuming. That lingering pain that doesnít disappearÖbut what if you just forget afterwards?

Would the burden of both the original trauma and the seeds of revenge both alleviate the afflicted?

Regardless thatís what happens after an old manís revenge plan decades in the making finally comes through only for him to be too senile to remember anything.

Hilarity in futility or success without appreciation? I donít really know, but like with everything here; food for thought.

My Funny Valentine

I always thought Faye Valentine was the greatest female character of all time. Sexy, yet in control, a femme fatale that doesnít lose sight of either her goals or her femininity. While a weaker female character would lose sight of one or the other in the process of being the showís lead female, Faye Valentine pulls her weight as a character completely free of the rest of the cast. When she has adventures she simply takes off and leaves and when sheís in trouble she tries to solve them herself. In fact, all the characters act independently of one another.

My Funny Valentine is part of a spread out origin story for our main heroine. Glimpses of her past as well as the basic story of her origins are mapped out in this episode and for the most part shows a pre life of crime Faye which is not only adorable, but pitiable and vulnerable. They just donít make female heroines like they used to.

My favorite episode in the entirety of Cowboy Bebop is a Faye centric episode so thereís that.

Black Dog Serenade

I still maintain that Jet is still the least characterized member of the Bebop and his moments of brilliance always shine when heís interacting with others and rarely appears in Jet centric episodes. I get what theyíre trying to do with character, a burnt out detective who would go on to emulate the noire private investigator complete and yet throughout the show Iíve always felt that all you saw was what Jet resembled rather than what he wasÖand then it hit me.

Jetís a pushover with Spike, heís the one who cares the most for the little family that formed aboard the Bebop (and thatís saying a lot because I like to think they all love each other deeply). He used to be a hardened detective but heís softer now and maybe thatís the point. Age doesnít make you more badass it just simply makes you wiser, kinder. Jet is arguably the wisest member of the crew, heís the one who isnít necessarily searching for anything (unlike the rest of the crew) and even if he was the noire detective Black Dog of the police force, heís now a big softy and I think Iíd have that over the brutish burnt out old dog any day.

This episode though really does rely on the noir elements heavily. Black and white, fedoras, intrigue and betrayal and a damn manly ending that I have to admit filled me with some form of happiness. If you want a cool episode centered around Jet Black then this is the one.

Mushroom Samba

Oh Jesus Mushroom Samba. The alternative manís favorite episode.

Okay, let me paint a picture for you. 70ís blacksploitation, funky soul music, Ed saves the day while the crew are each 1.) swimming in a toilet 2.) Walking up stairs for the entire episode 3.) discussing the meaning of life with inanimate objects.

You think you know Bebop? Watch this and perhaps you too will learn to live a little.

Speak Like a Child

When we grow up I think we forget how optimistic we were as children.

Even the difference between ages 4 and 7, 7 and 13, 13 and 18, 24 and 30 there are significant changes in personality and mentality that I think is overlooked commonly.

Like as children the concept of future was more of excitement than fear. The idea that there's a tomorrow was so instinctively joyful that it would be hard to imagine there were people who dreaded the next day so much they might jump off a building. Food for thought.

If you lived in the 90ís this episode is really meta as the search for the elusive betamax is what carries our heroes across the ruins of Earth. I donít really have a philosophical musing for this episode because everything I hinted about aging, childhood innocence, and even nostalgia are all tackled brilliantly in this episode and I love it.